Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters[b] is a 2019 American monster film directed and co-written by Michael Dougherty. Produced by Legendary Pictures[c] and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla (2014) and the third film in the Monsterverse. It is also the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise, and the third Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio.[d] The film stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O'Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, and Zhang Ziyi. In the film, eco-terrorists release King Ghidorah, who awakens other monsters known as "Titans" across the world, forcing Godzilla and Mothra to surface and engage Ghidorah and Rodan in a decisive battle.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Michael Dougherty
- Zach Shields
- Max Borenstein
- Michael Dougherty
- Zach Shields
Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan
by Toho Co., Ltd
- Mary Parent
- Alex Garcia
- Thomas Tull
- Jon Jashni
- Brian Rogers
- Warner Bros. Pictures (worldwide)
- Toho (Japan)
- May 13, 2019 (Beijing)
- May 31, 2019 (United States)
132 minutes[2]
United States[3]
English
$170–200 million[a]
$387.3 million[5]
The sequel was green-lit during the opening weekend of Godzilla, with Gareth Edwards expected to return to direct a trilogy. In May 2016, Edwards left the project. In October 2016, Dougherty and Shields were hired to rewrite the script. In January 2017, Dougherty was announced as the director. Principal photography began in June 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, and wrapped in September 2017. The film is dedicated to executive producer Yoshimitsu Banno (director of Godzilla vs. Hedorah) and original Godzilla suit performer Haruo Nakajima, both of whom died in 2017.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters was theatrically released on May 31, 2019, to mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects, action sequences, cinematography, and musical score but with criticism to the plot, pacing, tone and characters.[19][20] The film was a box office disappointment,[4][21][22] grossing $387.3 million worldwide against a production budget between $170–200 million and marketing costs between $100–150 million,[7][8] marking it the lowest-grossing film in the Monsterverse.[23]
A sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, was released on March 24, 2021.
Plot[edit]
Five years after the revelation of giant monsters, called "Titans", to the world, Dr. Emma Russell, a paleobiologist working for the Titan-studying organization Monarch, and her daughter Madison witness the birth of a larva called Mothra. Emma calms Mothra with the "Orca," a device that emits frequencies to attract or alter Titan behavior. A group of eco-terrorists, led by former British Army Colonel Alan Jonah, attacks the base and abducts Emma and Madison. At the same time, Mothra flees and pupates under a nearby waterfall.
Monarch scientists Dr. Ishirō Serizawa and Vivienne Graham approach former employee Dr. Mark Russell, Emma's ex-husband and Madison's father, to help track them down. Mark is initially reluctant due to his hatred toward Godzilla, whom he blames for his son Andrew's death during the events in San Francisco[e], but eventually agrees. The Monarch team follows Godzilla to Antarctica, where Jonah plans to free a three-headed Titan codenamed "Monster Zero". Emma frees and awakens Monster Zero, who proves to be hostile; he slaughters Monarch's G-Team, battles Godzilla, and devours Graham before escaping. The team later realizes that Emma is working with the terrorists. From a Monarch bunker, Emma contacts Monarch, arguing that the Titans must be awakened to heal the Earth from the human impact on the environment, pointing to Monarch research indicating that Titans can terraform and replenish ecosystems.
Conflicted, Madison begs her mother to reconsider, but Emma awakens Rodan in Mexico, and the Monarch team lures it toward Monster Zero. After Monster Zero defeats Rodan, Godzilla ambushes Monster Zero, severing his left head. During the fight, the U.S. military launches a prototype weapon called the "Oxygen Destroyer", seemingly killing Godzilla. However, Monster Zero is unaffected and regrows his lost head before awakening the other dormant Titans worldwide, with Rodan submitting to his rule; Serizawa chides Mark that he's gotten his wish. Horrified and disillusioned, Madison disowns Emma.
Through analyzing Monster Zero's abilities and mythological texts, Monarch deduces that it's King Ghidorah, a highly destructive alien and that it likely seeks to terraform Earth for itself destructively. A fully transformed Mothra flies to Monarch's Bermuda base to communicate with Godzilla, who is recuperating in an ancient underwater city in the Hollow Earth. The team uses a submarine to locate Godzilla's highly radioactive lair. Deducing it will take too long for Godzilla to heal on his own, Serizawa sacrifices himself by manually detonating a nuclear warhead to speed up the process, reviving Godzilla and increasing his power.
Emma realizes that Ghidorah's reign over the other Titans is bringing destruction far worse than anything humans could inflict, but Jonah ignores her pleas to try and stop it. Madison overhears her mother's plan to lure Ghidorah to Boston and steals the Orca to implement it herself. Arriving at Fenway Park, Madison broadcasts a frequency that calms the Titans but unwittingly attracts them all to her location. Ghidorah lands in Boston to destroy the Orca. Godzilla arrives to engage him in battle with Monarch personnel's assistance. Mark leads a team to rescue Madison and escape the city, learning Godzilla's radiation levels are increasing and will lead to a thermonuclear explosion. Mothra arrives to help Godzilla but is intercepted by Rodan; she defeats him but is injured in the process.
Ghidorah overpowers Godzilla, but Mothra sacrifices herself and transfers her energy to Godzilla. The Russells are reunited and reactivate the Orca to prevent Ghidorah from extracting Godzilla and Mothra's energy out of Godzilla. Emma stays behind to distract Ghidorah and sacrifices herself to give her family and the Monarch team time to escape. Godzilla enters a newly empowered state and vaporizes Ghidorah. Rodan and the other Titans converge on Godzilla and bow to him as their new alpha.
During the ending credits, news clippings and Monarch public files show that the Titans are now healing the planet, a suspected second Mothra egg has been discovered, and some Titans are converging on Skull Island. Ancient cave paintings of Godzilla and Kong-like Titans locked in battle[f] are shown. In a post-credits scene, Jonah and his forces purchase Ghidorah's decapitated left head in Mexico.
Joe Morton appears as an older Dr. Houston Brooks, a character that originally appeared in Kong: Skull Island, where he was portrayed by Corey Hawkins. Additionally, CCH Pounder portrays Senator Williams, Anthony Ramos portrays Staff Sergeant Anthony Martinez, Elizabeth Ludlow plays First Lieutenant Lauren Griffin, Jonathan Howard portrays Asher Jonah, and Randy Havens portrays Dr. Tim Mancini. Tyler Crumley plays Mark and Emma's son and Madison's brother Andrew. Kevin Shinick cameos as a weatherman. Through performance capture, T.J. Storm reprises his role as Godzilla, while Jason Liles, Alan Maxson, and Richard Dorton portray the heads of King Ghidorah.[11] Liles also portrays Rodan via performance capture.[39]
Release[edit]
Theatrical[edit]
Godzilla: King of the Monsters was released on May 31, 2019, in IMAX, 3D, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, IMAX 3D, 4DX, and ScreenX formats by Warner Bros. Pictures,[152] except in Japan where it was distributed by Toho.[40] The film was originally scheduled to be released on June 8, 2018.[46] However, in May 2016, it was pushed back to March 22, 2019, and later again to its current release date.[153] The film was released in ScreenX formats in some markets.[154] In the United States, the film was given a PG-13 rating for "sequences of monster action, violence, and destruction, and for some language."[155] In April 2019, a private screening was held for the press at Toho Studios in Tokyo, which was followed by a 30-minute Q&A with Dougherty and Ken Watanabe.[100] In early May 2019, advanced screenings were held for audiences ahead of the film's release,[156] and on May 17, 2019, a VIP press screening was held in Los Angeles at the AMC Century City theater.[157]
The film had its red-carpet premiere in Beijing on May 13, 2019.[158] It then had its second red-carpet premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on May 18, 2019.[159] A group of Taiko drummers delivered a performance signaling the opening of the ceremony prior to the actors' arrival. Prior to the Hollywood premiere, Warner Bros. hosted a block party. A green-screen photo booth was made available that allowed attendees to be placed in scenes from the film.[34] Regal Cinemas offered collectible tickets to IMAX attendees, along with a mini-poster of the ticket image. The collectible tickets were offered in two sizes: Standard (measuring 4" × 7.5") and Godzilla-sized (5.125" × 9.5").[160] In June 2019, the film received a one-month theatrical extension in China.[161]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Godzilla: King of the Monsters grossed $110.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $276.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $387.3 million.[5] Reports on the film's break even point varies; Erik Childress of Rotten Tomatoes estimated the film would have needed to gross $550–600 million to break even.[168] Chris Agar of Screen Rant estimated by the rule of thumb that the film required $400 million worldwide "just to make its money back."[169]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Rocketman and Ma, and was projected to gross $55–65 million from 4,108 theaters in its opening weekend.[170] The film made $19.6 million on its first day, including $6.3 million from Thursday night previews, which was lower than the $9.3 million made by the 2014 film but more than Kong: Skull Island's $3.7 million. It went on to debut to $47.8 million, finishing first at the weekend box office but below expectations.[171] Deadline Hollywood said the film "lacked urgency," having debuted its first trailer over a year before the film's release, and not separating its appearance from previous Godzilla films.[6] The film fell 67% in its second weekend to $15.5 million, finishing in fourth,[172] and then to $8.1 million the following weekend, finishing seventh.[173]
Worldwide, the film was initially projected to earn around $180 million from 75 other territories in its opening weekend, for a global total of $230–235 million. It was speculated that the amount could go higher if the film over-performed in China, where it was projected to debut to $75–90 million. The film held early previews in China on May 25, 2019, where it grossed $2.5 million.[174] King of the Monsters made $12.7 million from 51 countries on Thursday and $31.4 million from 75 countries on Friday, for a cume of $48.2 million through Friday.[175] In China, the film grossed $54.15 million through Friday and Saturday.[176] The film ended up grossing a total of $130 million internationally and $177.8 million including North American tallies, far below projections. Its largest markets were China ($70 million), the United Kingdom ($4.4 million), France ($2.6 million) and South Korea ($2.2 million).[175] The film dropped 64% to $47.1 million in its second weekend of international play, for a ten-day running total of $213.7 million.[177]
Critical response[edit]
The Observer stated reviews were "mixed to negative".[178] The Indian Express called reviews "largely negative".[179] Screen Rant described responses as "so negative".[180] Yahoo! Finance noted the reviews to be a "pretty mixed bag".[181] Scott Mendelson from Forbes stated the film earned "mixed reviews",[182] but later stated the film earned "mixed-negative reviews".[183]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 353 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers spectacular kaiju action -- and reaffirms that cutting-edge effects are still no substitute for a good story."[184] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 48 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[185] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, the same grade earned by the first two Monsterverse installments, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 85% (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars) and a 75% "definite recommend".[6]
Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, writing that it "has rare moments of visual splendour but they can't disguise a laughable script with a ramshackle narrative."[186] Chris Evangelista of /Film gave the film a score of 6.5 out of 10, criticizing the human characters and writing that "The ultimate kaiju smack-down shouldn't be this boring."[187] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a grade of "C−", calling it "dark, wet, and inept,"[188] while Mike Ryan of Uproxx also gave the film a negative review, writing that "When a movie is just nonstop monster action, guess what happens? It all becomes the new 'normal' and it becomes boring."[189] Ben Travis, writing for Empire Online, gave the film 1 out of 5 stars, stating, "Globe-trotting but not adventurous, action-packed but not remotely exciting, utterly overstuffed and completely paper-thin."[190]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that the film "makes for a spectacular clash of the titans, but this one has a less commanding balance of schlock and awe," compared to its predecessor.[1] Conversely, Alonso Duralde of the TheWrap praised the film for taking an "all-thriller-no-filler approach both to monsters and the human drama."[191] Scott Collura of IGN.com gave the film a score of 7.8 out of 10, calling it "a fun exercise in giant monster madness that indulges in all the kaiju fights fans and even casual viewers could hope for."[192] For Bloody Disgusting, William Bibbiani wrote "Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a big, kinda silly, but otherwise exciting blockbuster. It's gorgeous, it's epic in the extreme, and it features some of the most impressive monster fights you've ever seen. Maybe someday Americans will make a Godzilla movie that isn't just 'badass,' but which also works on another level and resonates in a meaningful way."[193] James Whitbrook of Io9 said the film "is little more than beautifully stunning sound and fury, sadly signifying nothing for its human stars—beyond them being a vector in which the movie can thickly spread on some b-movie cheese that lends the whole endeavor a sort of 'classic monster movie with a modern budget' vibe."[194]